Budding Blossoms Series - Finally Free
by Ivvic
Summary: This is a Taito story, I liked it, I hope you do to, so if you like m/m stories read.
1. Finally Free

Budding Blossoms Series: Finally Free - part 1  
  
Four heads bobbed back and forth like participants in a tennis game.  
  
"This is getting old," TK whispered to Sora. She nodded in agreement as she stared in a morbid fascination at the pair standing in front of her. Matt and Tai were fighting. Again.  
  
It was the third time that night the two had butted heads, and over the stupidest things. The six of them were trying to make plans for Sora's birthday party. She would be 19 in a week. Any little detail that came up seemed cause for an argument.  
  
"Maybe we should break them up?" Mimi suggested as she hugged her arms to herself. Matt and Tai looked about ready to start throwing punches. It had never come to that before, but every time they got together their arguments got worse and worse.  
  
'I don't know. It doesn't look safe to get between them," Joe said leaning forward, his hands on his knees. Kari watched them for about another minute before getting angry.  
  
"Enough is enough!" she yelled at them. Matt and Tai barely glanced at her before locking glares again, but they quit shouting at each other. "What is wrong with you two?"  
  
"He started it," Tai and Matt said in unison and then scowled at each other.  
  
"I'm not talking about this right now. You've been acting like this for a long time. Whatever it is that's bothering, you figure it out and knock it off. We aren't getting a thing done because of you two, so we'll figure out the party plans without you. If you two don't shape up and quit fighting for at least during Sora's party then don't bother coming."  
  
Done with her rant, Kari stormed out of the room leaving Matt and Tai staring after her. TK quickly ran after her, and Mimi and Joe left with apologetic glances. Joe paused in the doorway, on the verge of saying something, but he shook his head and left.  
  
"Now look what you've gone and done," Tai snapped at Matt.  
  
Matt waved his hand at Tai and he all but threw himself into one of the chairs, his legs lying over one arm.  
  
"It was as much your fault as mine," he said flippantly, knowing his causality towards the subject would irk Tai. It did.  
  
Tai wanted to throttle Matt, but restrained himself. He couldn't believe the conflicting emotions bouncing around in him. One minute he hated Matt for the way he treated everything in such an off hand manner, himself included, and the next all he could think of was how beautiful Matt was.  
  
"What's wrong with you?" Tai asked. He didn't say it to be mean. There was something up with Matt. Something that had been lurking behind his usually clear blue eyes turning them murky. It had been there for months now.  
  
"Nothing," Matt snapped, knowing exactly what Tai was referring to.  
  
"I know you're lying," Tai said staring at Matt who seemed was staring at the wall angrily. Matt was silent for a second, shaking with something Tai could only guess was rage.  
  
"Oh, you know I'm lying," he yelled jumping out of the chair and glaring at Tai with burning eyes, "You just know me so well, don't you? You don't know a damn thing about me, so why don't you just go off with your precious little Sora and leave me alone."  
  
With that Matt ran out of the apartment leaving Tai to stare after him with his jaw hanging open. 


	2. Finally Free

Part 2  
  
Matt walked around with his fists jammed in his pockets mentally yelling at himself. He couldn't believe what he had said to Tai. He might as well just have written a full confession.  
  
Well maybe it wasn't that bad. Tai might only think that Matt was jealous of Sora because they didn't spend as much time together as they used to and their friendship had suffered because of it. He might not realize that Matt was jealous because he loved Tai.  
  
Matt kicked a rock out of his path. There was no way Tai had misinterpreted his outburst. He was too smart. It was one of the things Matt admired about him. There was no way that things were going to go back to normal.   
  
Tai had to hate him now. Matt could consider himself lucky if Tai could bring himself to fight with him. He sighed desolately and headed back to his apartment. He had moved out of his parents house a week after he had turned 18 but he hadn't gone to far from where his friends were.   
  
If any of them could stand him anymore that was. Tai would probably tell his girlfriend and she would tell Mimi who would blurt it out to everyone else without meaning to.  
  
He tried to imagine everyone's reactions and he didn't like the results. He could see TK's look of disgust, he could see Kari trying to pretend that it was ok but she wouldn't be able to stay around him for long. His parents would probably try to act like they were fine ith it but would be so disappointed with him. His father was likelier to be angry.  
  
He trudged up his stairs feeling tired and unlocked the door, slamming it behind him. Matt had just collapsed onto his bed when someone knocked at the door. Feeling disgruntled at someone disturbing his self-pitying mood he answered the door to tell them to go away.  
  
When Matt saw who was on the doorstep the words died on his tongue and he just stood there.  
  
*~&~  
  
Tai stood on Matt's doorstep shifting his weight from foot to foot feeling awkward under Matt's glare. Maybe he had misunderstood what Matt had said earlier.  
  
"Can I come in?" he asked after a minute.  
  
"What do you want?" Matt demanded not moving.  
  
"To talk about what you said earlier," Tai told him avoiding Matt's stony gaze.  
  
"I don't want to talk about it," Matt told him darkly walking into his living room and sinking onto the couch.  
  
"Well I do," Tai said following him after shutting the door behind him and locking it because he knew that Matt liked to have his front door locked even when he was home.  
  
"Look, if you upset that I've been spending too much time with Sora," Tai told him before Matt cut him off.  
  
"That's not it," he snapped angrily. He was surprised that he was angry that Tai didn't realize that he was in love with him. He wanted Tai to know but didn't want to tell him either because of the changes it might mean.  
  
"Then what is it?" Tai demanded.  
  
"I told you I didn't want to talk about it," Matt muttered sullenly. He grabbed for the TV remote and turned it on flipping through the channels even though he wasn't paying attention.  
  
"I'm not leaving until you tell me," Tai said stubbornly. "Why are you jealous of Sora?"  
  
"Because I'm in love with you damn it!" 


	3. Finally Free

Part 3  
  
Tai couldn't believe what he had just heard. Matt had not just echoed Tai's emotions for Matt. It just wasn't possible. The silence stretched on until it became unbearable.  
  
"There, I told you. I know you hate me now, so just go," Matt said pointedly staring at any spot but Tai. He wanted to die. Just sink into the couch with the collection of lost coins and never be seen again.  
  
Matt blinked rapidly as he watched Tai make as if too leave, but he changed his mind and sat on the couch besides Matt. Matt wished he would do something, or say something. Anything at all. Of all the reactions he had envisioned Tai having this was the worst.  
  
"Matt, I don't hate you," Tai said after a minute.  
  
"Utterly repulsed then," Matt snapped furious at himself, at the unshed tears that filled his eyes.  
  
"Not that either. Matt, I never thought, oh don't cry," he exclaimed as a tear tracked down Matt's cheek, shining in the light.  
  
"I know, you never thought this would happen. Look, we can just pretend it never did ok? I know you're in love with Sora and I'm sorry I told you."   
  
Matt could not believe he was crying, he was such a baby. But then again, he couldn't believe how much it hurt to know that Tai didn't want him.  
  
"No, we can't just forget that this happened. I'm not in love with Sora. I'm only going out with her because she asked me and I knew I could never get together with who I do love."  
  
"Oh yeah, and who's that?" Matt asked scornfully not really wanting to know.  
  
"You."  
  
Matt turned to face him, scarcely able to believe what he had just heard. He simply started at Tai for awhile.  
  
"I've wanted to tell you for so long, but I knew if you did you'd just brush me off, or worse, hate me. Oh please stop crying," Tai begged even though he could feel tears burning in the corners of his own eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry," Matt said trying to laugh, but it didn't sound right. He started to wipe the tears off his face but Tai grabbed his hands.   
  
"Don't be. I love you Matt." With that Tai leaned forward and kissed him.  
  
The first kiss surprised Matt at how soft Tai's lips were, it was better then anything that had ever played out in his fantasies. The kisses progressed into something deeper and slightly needy on both sides.  
  
Tai couldn't believe how passionate Matt's kisses were, but it wasn't long before he completely lost himself into their passionate embrace.  
  
It was a long time before they separated and they had to sit for a minute to clear their minds.  
  
"Wow," Matt said breathlessly summing up both their feelings. "So now what?"  
  
"I'm going to break up with Sora tomorrow when I can talk to her in person. Do you want to tell every one about us?"  
  
"Not yet," Matt decided after a minute. "It'll be our little secret for a while. Besides, I know that Sora wont appreciate being told a week before her birthday that she's being dumped for me."  
  
"I guess not," Tai agreed with a laugh. "I should get going. I don't want to wake up my parents when I get home." Matt glanced at the clock and was extremely surprised to see that it was almost midnight.  
  
"Yeah, I guess. Bye Tai," Matt said walking Tai to the door. They kissed and Tai headed towards the stairs.  
  
"I'll see you tomorrow," he said grinning and waved to Matt.  
  
"Tomorrow," Matt promised waving back. He leaned against his doorway and watched Tai disappear down the stairs. Then with a contented sigh he went into his apartment and locked the door. 


End file.
